ClientEarth Withdrawal Bill report

On Thursday 13th of July 2017, a draft of The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill was laid before the House of Commons. This Bill will perform and direct much of the work needed to prepare the UK's statute book as it leaves the EU. This report sets out some of the key issues faced, and raised, for the environment by the Bill and identifies some of the problems with the current approach.

This report demonstrates that the health and integrity both of the environment and of the UK's legal system is jeopardised by the Withdrawal Bill as it currently stands. Three overarching problems exist with the current approach. It risks producing a democratic deficit, it risks a reduction in the current standard of environmental protection, and it risks creating a gap in environmental governance. These findings are outlined below together with our recommendations to fix the Withdrawal Bill and ensure the environment is protected during Brexit.